Blow to Cong as Morbi district chief joins BJP

“Congress has respected me as an individual and as a worker and also gave me chance to contest Assembly elections two times. Therefore, I have not complaints nor any grudge against the party. But I feel, I shall be able to implement my ideas better with the BJP,” Merja said while addressing the conference.

Merja, a Kadva Patel, had fought 2012 and 2007 Assembly polls from Morbi and Tanakar, respectively as Congress candidate. He had served as district president of Rajkot and when Morbi was carved out of Rajkot and Surendrangar last year, he was given the charge of the party in the new district. Kavadiya, a distant relative to Merja said they were always in touch with each other. “Since we are relatives, we were always in touch with each other. I always wanted him to join the BJP. We met in Gandhinagar two days ago and Merja agreed to join our camp. His final decision came just last night,” said the minister.

The defection was as disappointing as surprising to state Congress leaders. “Just last night, he was with me and our new candidate Kagathara in Ahmedabad. He was happy with the change of candidate and being the district president, I had handed him over mandate for Kagathara. But his quitting the party is unfortunate,” Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee president Arjun Modhwadia told The Indian Express.